Common Core makes common sense

Having seen firsthand how increased rigor and standards have driven our children to greater heights academically in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and other parts of this great state, we stand united in the premise that Louisiana’s children need higher standards. While for years our state has been ranked near or at the bottom of most national rankings related to academic attainment, graduation rates, and the proverbial achievement gap; Common Core State Standards seems to be the antidote to help move our children forward — particularly children of color.

The achievement levels of Black and Brown students, especially those burdened with the economic and social disadvantages of poverty, are falling further and further behind their white peers, even as our entire nation loses ground globally. This is a recipe for economic and social disaster, but it can be avoided if we make closing the achievement gap a national priority, guided by a commitment to a common set of principles. That is the commitment that 45 states and the District of Columbia have made with the adoption of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) — that all students will have the same expectations for learning regardless of their zip codes. Louisiana is among the states that have made this commitment and we must keep the promise that we made to our children to grant each of them access to a world class education.

Nationally, the Urban League and the Black Alliance for Educational Options both support this transformative learning initiative, largely because both organizations believe it will better prepare all students for college and the jobs of today and tomorrow.

According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) study, the reading gap for 8th-grade Black students compared to their white peers nationally decreased from 32 points to 27 points from 1992 to 2007, while in Louisiana the gap remained virtually unchanged over this same time period at 26 points. However, the gap between Black students in Louisiana and Black students nationally increased by 6 points. While Black children overall have experienced modest gains over a 15-year period, we should all be incensed at the clear disparity in our ability as a country and a state to adequately prepare our children academically.

We believe that all children deserve an excellent education – no exceptions. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen all too often, where a family lives often has a huge bearing on educational quality. Black, low-income and working-class families are often located in communities where student learning is slowed by inequitable resources and low expectations for children. Consequently, it is our families who will benefit from Common Core, as it holds all public schools to the same high standards. It is imperative that our schools prepare all students for the challenges of a 21st-century economy that relies on education, innovation, critical thinking, and technology.

The Common Core State Standards will help equip parents with critical knowledge about what their child should be learning in certain grades, regardless of which state they live, and provide a reliable yardstick with which to measure their progress. That knowledge will allow parents to hold schools accountable for providing high-quality instruction aligned with the standards to prepare their children for college or career.

For the Urban League, education is not only the civil rights issue of our time, it is also increasingly the fault line that will determine winners and losers in the global economy. This belief aligns with BAEO’s that our children are inherently intelligent and talented. Both the Urban League and BAEO know that ALL kids can learn, meet, and exceed the high bar that Common Core sets for them.

– Erika McConduit-Diggs
President & CEO
Urban League of Greater New Orleans

This article originally published in the April 7, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.